For various reasons associated in particular with greater comfort of use (softness, emollience and the like), current cosmetic compositions are usually in the form of an emulsion of the oil-in-water (O/W) type consisting of an aqueous-dispersing-continuous phase and an oily-dispersed-discontinuous phase, or of an emulsion of the water-in-oil (W/O) type consisting of an oily-dispersing-continuous phase and an aqueous-dispersed-discontinuous phase. O/W emulsions are usually preferred in the cosmetics field, because O/W emulsions comprise an aqueous phase as external phase, which gives the emulsions, when applied to the skin, a fresher, less greasy and lighter feel than W/O emulsions.
Many compositions, especially cosmetic compositions, have been developed for easy and comfortable application onto a targeted substrate. Unfortunately, many of these compositions are in fact difficult to apply and do not possess a smooth feel upon application. Moreover, compositions often have a tendency to feel tacky, yielding poor application and spreadability characteristics.
This poor aesthetic experience if oftentimes further exacerbated by the use of high levels of glycerin, which is a fairly low cost humectant ingredient. Incorporating high levels of glycerin, generally greater than 10% by weight, yields a cosmetic composition that imparts a greasy and sticky feel onto a user's skin. The greasy and sticky feel is obviously undesirable to most, if not all, consumers. The use of synthetic texture modifiers such as silicone compounds, for example, may reduce the feeling of greasiness/stickiness. However, their use may not provide sufficient consumer appeal due to a residual feeling of tackiness, and results in the incorporation of synthetic ingredients which are, in general, disfavored by consumers over naturally-derived ingredients.
Also, for quite some time now, there has been a significant amount of negative publicity generated by the media surrounding the safety of parabens, a very commonly used class of preservatives. While parabens are recognized as being safe by the US Food and Drug Administration, some companies in the personal care industry have been substituting parabens with other, alternative, preservatives. Most preservatives, however, are synthetic and only a few of those are approved for use in natural formulas.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hydrating composition that does not require the use of parabens and/or synthetic preservatives, in general, to inhibit microbial decomposition.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hydrating composition that is naturally-derived. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a hydrating composition containing high levels of glycerin which is aesthetically pleasing and does not impart a tacky, sticky feel on a user's skin.